Milford Sound

---

This morning we got up and drove the Milford Highway up to Milford Sound. Before we left we got some Bacon and Egg pies for breakfast that were awesome. The drive there was beautiful. I really enjoyed the way the landscape changed along the way. We stopped at a few places on the way up (and on the way back too). Our favorite one was The Chasm, where the rocks had been shaped by the water. It's just amazing to see what time does over a long time, and to have some visual proof of it.
We had signed up to take a 2 hour cruise on Milford Sound with Mitre Peak Cruises. It was a shorter amount of time than some of the other choices, but it was on the smallest boat for a day cruise, which we wanted. There was a bench/boxy-type place to sit at the front of the boat and we sat up there the whole time, even though it got cold. It was overcast, but didn't rain, and one of the crew member said it was a pretty calm day out on the water. They had complimentary tea or coffee, which was really nice to drink out in the cold.
We both liked being in between the really high cliffs and seeing all the waterfalls that came crashing down from really high up. The cruise took us out to the Tasman Sea, where the water got way rougher. We were on a smaller boat than a lot of the other companies, so we were able to get up close to the waterfalls and wildlife. The boat got us to the base of a waterfall, where we were able to look up and let the water fall down on us. It was cold, but a pretty incredible experience. We saw some fur seals, but the best was the Fiordland Crested Penguins! There were about six of them, and we saw them hop down the rocks and get in the water. It was pretty cool. The whole trip was really lovely, and I think we had a good time.
We got back this evening, and made ourselves a pretty good dinner of spicy italian sausage and caramelized onions. Tomorrow we are driving down to Manapouri, and taking an overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound. We're both super excited to go!

---

Photos

Milford Highway
Waterfall by one car bridge

Milford Highway
Waterfall

Mildford Highway
View down the chasm